Banker s daily-balance index



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. P. THOMAS. BANKERS DAILY BALANCE INDEX.

(No Model.)

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. f T. P. THOMAS. BANKERS DAILY BALANCE INDEX.

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No. 538 438. PatentedApg. 30, 1895.

by vertical and horizontal columns.

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THO'MAS PARRY THOMAS, OF MERIDIAN, TEXAS.

BAN KERS DAILY-BALANCE INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,438, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed March 14, 1893. Serial No. 466,004.- (No model.)

To MZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS PARRY THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meridian, in the county of Bosque and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bankers Daily- Balance Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to promote the speed and accuracy of book-keepers in keeping the personal daily balance ledger in banking and other like business.

I accordingly provide the devices hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of a sheet of a bankers ledger, partly broken away, with my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a view of my improved sliding index. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 4 is a view of the reversed side of the sliding index.

The sheet A, is divided into several sections At the left hand side of the sheet at ct, there is a vertical row of figures, and a place for the names of the depositors. At the right-hand side, joining this column, there is a column containing the balances of-the several depositors at any specified time.

The remainder of the sheet is divided into sections B, each containing three vertical columns. The one at the left-hand side is to indicate the checks drawn on the bank.V The central column indicates the deposits made, and the third column indicates the balance, or the difference between the previous balance and the deposits and the amounts checked out. Each section is for a single day and the day may be indicated at the top of the section.

The slide C, carries the names of the depositors. It is adapted to be moved back and forth horizontally on the sheet, so that the names of the depositors may be brought into close proximity to the daily balances, the

checks or deposits in order that it may not be necessary to trace a long horizontal line from the name of the depositor to the iigurcs indicating the information desired.

It has been customary to place the names of the depositors in the column a, as indicated at the left-hand side of Fig. l, and when a large book is employed, mistakes are often made in identifying figures in the middle of the book or at the extreme right-hand side with the names at the left-hand side, but by the use of my improved slidingindex, no such mistakes can'be made. The names are -written on horizontal lines coinciding with the 'horizontal lines on the ledger sheet.

The sliding index is preferably made of paper in loop form. The front side c, has a series of horizontal lines c on which the names of the depositors are written. These lines are numbered vertically, and the numbers are made to correspond with the vertical row of numbers on the ledger sheet, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1. The back c2, of the slide may contain any desired arrangement of numbers or lines. The back and front are secured together at top and bottom, thereby forming an'endless band which ernbraces the ledger sheet,suficiently loosely to enable the slide to be moved back and forth thereon.

At the bottom of the slide at c3, there is a projection on which are printed the letters of the alphabet, included in the slide, and on the opposite sides 'is another projection c4, somewhat longer than c3, on the reverse side of which the same letters of the alphabet are printed. Between the two projections, I arrange a metallic clip D, which embraces the front and back pieces of the slide and acts as a shield to protect the slide whenit is being handled or moved back and forth. A similar clip D', is used at the top of the slide. In order to cover the clip, I paste additional pieces of paper a2 as at top vand bottom,

making four thicknesses at these points, as

shown clearly in Fig. 3. I find this arrangement to be most secure and efficient.

' When the ledger sheet has been filled out, the front sheet of the index or slide should be removed and pasted on to the sheet at the left-hand side to make a permanent record.

By lnyimprovements, it will be seen,I dispense with the necessity of re -writing the names on the ledger leaves, and the bookkeeper may readily post the items to their proper places without the necessity of tracing the long lines across the book, or referring to the marginal numbers, thus keeping each customers name immediately opposite his balance, and thereby the book-keepers speed in ICO performing his Work is greatly expedited and his accuracy insured.

I claim as my invention- The herein-described index comprising a front and back pieces of flexible material, such as peper, secured together at their upper edges to form a. continuous loop or band and provided with horizontal lines adapted to coincide with the horizontal lines of the ledger sheet on which the looped index is adapted to slide horizontally and having projecting portions at one end containing theinitials of the 

